Explore how Germans live in Northern Germany and enjoy the countryside of Northern Germany including pretty, little villages with lots of half-timbered houses & barns, old farmhouses, red-brick houses, village churches and traditional family homes.

Published 26/01/2016

Unique insight into life in Northern Germany

Scenic drive

Learn about the incredible history of German craftsmanship

Season

Spring

Notices

We recommend this tour for guests with walking difficulties as it does not include that much walking. However, in case of photo stops, guests should be able to climb in / out of the coach.

Difficulty level

Suitable for everyone - Involves little physical activity, most of the tour is operated by vehicle.

Duration

5 hours

£ 123

Enjoy a lovely overview of Northern Germany’s country side and its many little villages which you will encounter during this tour.

The scenic route from Bremerhaven

Your tour will start by coach at the quayside in Bremerhaven and will proceed along a scenic route via little villages where the buildings reflect the culture of the coastal inhabitants and those on the river and further inland.

Continue through villages that have 1000-year old historic town centers that are carefully preserved and restored. Here you will notice the development of framework architecture from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Pass by some of these half-timbered buildings and thatched roof houses that have been lovingly restored – these houses are enormous magnificent buildings, mostly carved with a name of the owner’s family in the timbers. Elaborate carvings also adorn some of the gates of the holdings that are today often independent structures, once status symbols of the estate.

Half-timbered construction in Northern Europe is characteristic of medieval and early modern Denmark, England, Germany and parts of France, in localities where timber was in good supply and building stone and the skills to work it were in short supply.

Every country has its traditions in framework, however, the main country of half-timbered houses is Germany.

Century-old craftsmanship

The Deutsche Fachwerkstraße (German Framework Road), the “Route that links Germany’s Medieval Timber-framed Houses”, runs from Lower Saxony in the north of the country to Bavaria in the south. This route is renowned for its highly picturesque half-timbered buildings and a cross-section of timber-frame buildings in the 1,000-year-old villages – part of this route, you will explore today during your tour. Timber framing (Fachwerk) is the description of how a house is built using mortise and tendon joinery and dates back thousands of years.

You will pass through towns that are characterized by century-old craftsmanship and have also become famous far beyond the German borders through their trading and beer brewing tradition. A brief refreshment stop for some tea/coffee and traditional German cake at a typical German coffee café or private home will be done.

Plenty of photo stops will be made to capture the picturesque thatched roof houses and other old half-timbered buildings, before returning by coach to the quayside Bremerhaven.

NOTES:

A brief refreshment stop will be made en route to savor some local specialties, i.e. tea/coffee & German cake at typical local café or private home.

This is a perfect tour for guests with walking difficulties as it does not include much walking.